should be a very divine man, and yet be altogether unknown.
This thou must ever be mindful of, as of this also,
that a man's true happiness doth consist in very few things.
And that although thou dost despair, that thou shalt ever
be a good either logician, or naturalist, yet thou art never
the further off by it from being either liberal, or modest,
or charitable, or obedient unto God. XXXIX. Free from all
compulsion in all cheerfulness and alacrity thou mayst run out
thy time, though men should exclaim against thee never so much,
and the wild beasts should pull in sunder the poor members
of thy pampered mass of flesh. For what in either of these
or the like cases should hinder the mind to retain her own
rest and tranquillity, consisting both in the right judgment
of those things that happen unto her, and in the ready use
of all present matters and occasions? So that her judgment
may say, to that which is befallen her by way of cross:
this thou art in very deed, and according to thy true nature:
notwithstanding that in the judgment of opinion thou dust
appear otherwise: and her discretion to the present object;
thou art that, which I sought for. For whatsoever it be,
that is now present, shall ever be embraced by me as a fit
and seasonable object, both for my reasonable faculty,
and for my sociable, or charitable inclination to work upon.
And that which is principal in this matter, is that it may be
referred either unto the praise of God, or to the good of men.
For either unto God or man, whatsoever it is that doth happen
in the world hath in the ordinary course of nature its
proper reference; neither is there anything, that in regard
of nature is either new, or reluctant and intractable,
but all things both usual and easy.